Looking at cumulative poems – What’s in the box?
What’s in the box?
What's in the toy box? What's in the box?
What's in the box with big brass locks?
There's a one-eyed ted
And a ball that's red
That's what's in the box.
What's in the toy box? What's in the box?
What's in the box with big brass locks?
There's a one-eyed ted
And a ball that's red
Some building bricks
And a clock that ticks
That's what's in the box.
What's in the toy box? What's in the box?
What's in the box with big brass locks?
There's a one-eyed ted
And a ball that's red
Some building bricks
And a clock that ticks
A plastic boat
And a duck that floats
That's what's in the box.
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Looking at cumulative poems – What’s in the box?
What's in the toy box? What's in the box?
What's in the box with big brass locks?
There's a one-eyed ted
And a ball that's red
Some building bricks
And a clock that ticks
A plastic boat
And a duck that floats
A wind up car
And a silver star
That's what's in the box.
What's in the toy box? What's in the box?
What's in the box with big brass locks?
There's a one-eyed ted
And a ball that's red
Some building bricks
And a clock that ticks
A plastic boat
And a duck that floats
A wind up car
And a silver star
A doll that cries
And a plane that flies
That's what's in the box!
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Looking at cumulative poems – What’s in the box?
Items listed in the toy box
A red ball
A one-eyed bear
Building blocks
A clock
A plastic boat
A duck
A wind up car
A silver star
A plane
A doll
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Looking at cumulative poems – What’s in the box?
Poem scaffold - What’s in the boat?
What’s in the boat? The boat that floats.
There’s a pirate’s hat
And a ......................................................................................
In the boat – the boat that floats.
What’s in the boat? The boat that floats.
There’s a pirate’s hat
And a ......................................................................................
A treasure chest
And a ......................................................................................
In the boat – the boat that floats.
What’s in the boat? The boat that floats.
There’s a pirate’s hat
And a ......................................................................................
A treasure chest
And a ......................................................................................
A cannon ball
And a ......................................................................................
In the boat – the boat that floats.
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Looking at cumulative poems – What’s in the box?
Here are some rhyming words which you might find helpful:
Hat
Chest
cat
best
fat
crest
rat
nest
bat
pest
flat
rest
mat
vest
pat
west
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Ball
all
call
fall
small
tall
wall
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Looking at cumulative poems – What’s in the box?
Teaching ideas
Performing the poem:
Introduce the poem by presenting the class with a toy box filled with the items listed in the poem
or use the picture cards to represent each of the items. As you read the poem hold up each item
to serve as a visual prompt throughout the poem. As the children become more familiar with the
poem individual can hold up the toys as they occur in the poem.
Emphasise the repeated phrases at the beginning and end of each verse so that the children build
up familiarity and confidence in their performance of the poem.
Repeated performances will help children identify the simple rhyming patterns that occur at the
end of lines for example
There’s a one eyed ted
And a ball that’s red
Encourage the children to maintain a volume throughout the poem and not to trail words off at
the end of each line.
Scaffolding the poem:
The cumulative nature of the poem means that they offer writing opportunities for all abilities.
Those who are not yet writing fluently can often contribute their own lines orally and then see
them written down and displayed. Children can also draw their alternatives for the toy box, which
again can serve as visual reminders when performed.
Those who are in the early stages of mastering writing will be able to build the existing structure
using the scaffolding framework. Here children are presented with the main structure and for
those needing further support they can also be given alternative rhyming words.
Those who are more fluent can create their own complete poem, though they might appreciate a
starting point:
What’s in the boat?
What’s in the boat?
The boat that floats.
There’s a
And a ...........................................................
In the boat – the boat that floats.
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Looking at cumulative poems – What’s in the box?
Children may come up with their own alternative ideas they want to write but if not here are some
fun suggestions to get them started:
What’s on the roof?
What’s in the sea?
What’s in the fridge?
Cumulative poems can be tedious to write out because there is so much repetition. This is an ideal
time for children to use a computer and copy and paste repeated lines.
Shared writing:
This variation on the ‘In the box’ theme involves pupils creating a chant about the contents of a
magic box. You will provide the chorus – the bread of the sandwich; they will provide the filling.
Present the children with a colourful or highly decorated box. Invite them to suggest items which
might be found in your magic box. Tell them as the box is magic and anything can fit into it no
matter it’s size or even if you can’t touch it for example something as big as a star or as abstract
as a smile. Tell them it will hold anything which they might wish to give to someone they really
like. Build up a list of these on the board.
Introduce the chorus which begins ‘In the box, in the magic box…’ It’s followed by four lines
comprising four items for the box the first of which starts, ‘There’s a….’ The verse finishes with ‘In
the box, in the magic box!’ The third and fifth lines usually begin with ‘And a…’
You will need to work with the children on the suggested items to make them fit the rhythm of the
chant, which works best with items of three syllables, e.g. ‘A comfy bed / And a shooting star / An
Action Man / And a roaring fire’ but longer lines can be made to fit the rhythm, ‘A delicious cake /
And a stegosaurus mask’ would work equally well.
If a rhyme can be engineered for the fifth line, it adds to the pleasure but is not essential. Showing
how you can move lines and words around to achieve a purpose is a useful demonstration of
drafting in action, though.
Three verses are usually enough, though some pupils may want to go off and create more. When
performing the chant, repeat ‘In the box, in the magic box!’ at the end of the verses, at first
normally, then very quietly and then very loud. It works a treat.
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